Star Wars Land Might Feature A Speeder Bike Thrill Ride

Star Wars has long been a part of Disney’s Tomorrowland. Since Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm last year, the Mouse House is slowly phasing in more theme park attractions based on Lucas’ movies, and possibly even a full Star Wars Land section at Disneyland. Star Wars would move out of Tomorrowland, but not before it claimes some of the futuristic theme park’s real estate.

According to MiceAge, Disney’s Imagineers are working with Lucasfilm designers to make Star Wars Land a reality. At the moment, there is already the Star Tours: The Adventures Continue ride, so Disney and Lucasfilm are hoping to add more attractions, including a possible Speeder Bike thrill ride from Return of the Jedi, and a Millennium Falcon attraction.

Disney is planning to renovate the old Rocket Jets spinner and PeopleMover platform into a likely Star Wars landing pad for the Millennium Falcon. The space vessel would greet park-goers and double as a walkthrough of Han Solo’s smuggling spaceship. In the shadows of the old Tomorrowland Terrace dining facility would be a new Tatooine Cantina where park-goers could experience an interactive dining/entertainment concept from the Star Wars universe.

The location of the existing Innoventions and Autopia would also be used for a probable new Speeder Bike thrill ride. The outdoor ride would resemble the forest moon of Endor and feature a full Ewok village. At the moment, Disney Imagineers are trying to figure out if the Monorail should go through the Ewok village or open it up for more Ewok visuals. The site adds that the additions to Disneyland wouldn’t go in place until 2016, after the release of Star Wars: Episode VII in 2015.

The Innoventions building gets gutted and in its place is the pre-show and boarding area for the new Speeder Bike thrill ride. The majority of the track heads outdoors and to the north, demolishing the Autopia freeways and taking over most of that area for the new ride. The outdoor Speeder Bike course is set on the forest moon of Endor where the Ewoks live, and an Ewok village and walk-through attraction will house dining and shops as the Speeder Bike ride zooms nearby.

Disney teased the possibility of a Star Wars Land at Disneyland during the D23 Expo a few months ago. Blueprints found at the “Orange Harvest” display at the Anaheim Convention Center point to Disney’s involvement to adding Lucasfilm properties at their theme parks.

Disney also sent out surveys to park guests to gauge interest for a Star Wars theme park at Disneyland, which already hosts a yearly Star Wars Weekend as well. Some of the attractions during Star Wars Weekend are the Jedi Training Academy, a kid-friendly version of Star Tours for shorter guests, and various other Star Wars-related events. Of course, the Speeder Bike ride, Millennium Falcon walkthrough, and the Cantina restaurant are the latest rumors out of Disney and Lucasfilm.

The Star Wars theme park is another reason why Disney will greatly benefit from all that Lucasfilm has to offer. The development of a new live-action TV show, animated series, and standalone spin-off movies are the best ways to expand the Star Wars brand.